Out of curiosity OP, what is it that you want from where you are planning on moving? What do you like about where you live now and what don't you like? I'd imagine it might be good to look at demographic info on each city and I am sure there are many sites with cost of living and all that info and year round weather stats as well as the pros and cons of various cities.

I've lived in Seattle and I liked it, but then again I liked England and they have somewhat similar weather patterns though England gets far more rain. With Seattle I found it a wonderful place for outdoors activities and I liked playing in the downtown. There are some great places to live, but it's not cheap. Of the options you've listed I think Denver is actually the least expensive of the 3 options. The issue with Seattle to me isn't so much the rain as it is the lack of sunshine. I've lived in wetter climates then Seattle (England for one) but what always got me was the lack of sun. Colorado for all it's cold ass days (and it does have a few of them and snow on Halloween sometimes as well as freak days in July) does have a lot of sun and open skies. I miss the open skyline of the west. I live in VA now and while I love the autumn leaves and the beautiful lakes and trees, I miss the big open skies (I grew up in Arizona and California mostly so I am keen on warmer weather). If I get back west I want to move to Denver. I have a house in Colorado Springs I hope to sell next year because I don't want to go back there. The Springs is ultra religious and conservative, pretty and cheaper then Denver, but not as much fun as Denver. I love LoDo in particular but I'd probably live in certain areas like Lakewood (the nicer parts) or even Littleton. Highlands Ranch is nice, but honestly if always seems like the Stepford Wives were all cloned there. Downtown is my favorite part of Denver and of course the stadium. I love the mountains there and the plentiful out door activities available. Seattle has a lot of this too, but if I was going that direction I might pick Portland as it is more laid back and appeals to my liberal sensibilities and seemed like it was cheaper to live and Seattle is only 4 hours away by car anyway. Chicago I know nothing about but I figure I'd probably hate the lake effect snow and being that close to Jay Cutler again. (heh, I kid, maybe). Anyway good luck.

Huh. I'm the opposite. I grew up in Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. I miss the water. Rain, ocean, actual rivers. I miss the huge trees and forests. Colorado is just so dry all the time. Only place I have ever been where everyone needs lotion just to have skin that does not resemble a shark's. Also tired of high fire danger from May to November.

And I am a tad bit more conservative than you are and I wouldnt live in Colorado Springs either. I'd pick Denver/Littleton or even Aurora if I were going to stay in Colorado. Instead I am moving to South Carolina just because I want to. Not because of a stripper girlfriend who may or may not be my baby mama.

just what the west needs, another moron from the east coast. Hey, bring your stupid gun laws with you because, yah know, you're leaving a place you love soooo damn much because it sucks so of course you want to bring your idiocy with you out west right?

just remember why you are leaving the east coast and don't bring your baggage with you.

Denver is great, but I'd avoid the suburbs. Seriously, who aims to move to the Suburbs? Denver proper is a great friggin' town with awesome food, drink, and nightlife. And I'm not sure you're going to meet a proper girl out in the burbs. JMO.

Seattle is a great city, one of my favorite places to visit, and I'd like to move there someday. The weather isn't for everyone though.

Chicago, I have no use for. Just not my kind of place. WAY too cold in the winter.

Agree with the initial point here. I moved here from a green, wet forest in the PNW and I feel pretty lucky to be where I'm at in Denver (sweet little pad in west Wash Park). I'm not paying out the nose either--I'm sure you could find a cool place at a reasonable rate just to settle a bit. Suburbs just seem a bit lame--a bunch of old houses from street to street and then a shopping center thrown in here and there. I can get anywhere in Denver on a bike in ~20 minutes. There's a ton of awesome places to drink/eat within walking distance. You don't have to go downtown to have a good time, either. Tasty beer seemingly everywhere. Mountains to go explore. Pretty sweet deal for a 26 year old with no long term obligations.

Seattle is pretty neat, too. I didn't spend a whole lot of time in Seattle when I lived in WA, but it definitely has much more of a "big city" feel than Denver does. Traffic is WAAAAY worse there. It actually rains more than once every 6 months, so if you appreciate moisture, there's that. The outdoors are, in my opinion, even better than CO. You have the ocean and the Cascades. Seeing a sh*t ton of people when you're trying to get away outdoors around here kind of blows, but in the Cascades you'll have to try to find someone else when you're out there. Obviously, if you go to certain places you can truly find seclusion, but you have to try harder in Denver (seems like). You also don't have to have AC because it doesn't turn into a damn oven for 3 months out of the year.

Denver and Seattle strike a pretty serious contrast when it comes to the environment around each city, but you can adapt to either. It took me a while to get over blood/phlegm hacking in the mornings and living in an oven during the summers, but now when I go home for christmas I get kind of tired of rain haha.

I have nothing on Chicago. Seems like a giant city in the Midwest. Awesome, I guess.

I only quickly scanned the responses. But before we devote real analytical discussion I need two things answered.

1.) Are you chasing some poon that could very well be growing your child inside of her? If you think you can say yes, but also have doubts, then say that. It is very important to consider.

2.) If you were to shack up with a chick here in Denver (lets pretend it is a girl you followed), what do you do when a dude roommate is added to the equation and he ends up putting his peepee in her weewee. Do you let him kick your ass in your own home?

I am very excited to assist you in this decision making process, but my input will be mostly superficial until I know the answers to these two simple questions.

Never been to Seattle, but I spent the first 23 years of my life in Colorado (Greeley and Ft. Collins), and the next 14 years in Chicago. Just moved back to Colorado and settled in Greenwood Village, b/c it's very close to work and I didn't want to deal with commuting while I was getting reestablished here...

Chicago is an amazing city...in the summertime. The spring and fall are hit or miss, and the winters can be absolutely brutal. Even a "mild" winter sucks, b/c you won't see the sun for weeks on-end. Just really depressing. As mentioned by several others in this thread, the weather in CO is awesome. It's generally pretty mild/sunny, and you get a great variety. For example, just last Friday I was playing golf in shorts and a light jacket, and today it's snowing and freezing cold. Within a week, it will probably be in the 50's and people will be out and about riding bikes, etc. Chicagoans are basically stuck indoors bowling, playing cards, and watching tv for the next 3 months until things thaw out.

In terms of "feel", the two cities are night and day. There are definitely some urban/walkable areas in Denver, but nothing like Chicago. Not even close. Denver is basically a huge suburb with a few city-like nooks. Chicago is NYC-lite. The restaurants and nightlife in Chicago are amazing--you could literally go to a new place every time you went out for the rest of your life and never run out of good options. Not that Denver doesn't have good food and bars, just nothing like Chicago. Both places are relatively laid back, with friendly people. Generally speaking, Coloradoans are way more active and healthy.

As much as people complain about traffic in Denver, it's really not that bad. There are a few hours in the morning and afternoon that are rough, but it lightens up at other times and on the weekends. The traffic in and around Chicago, on the other hand, just never lets up. That area is just so much more densely populated than Denver. You are probably used to that on the East Coast, though.

In terms of real estate the Chicago market is still very depressed, and Denver is thriving. Overall cost of living seems about the same so far. Denver is supposedly about 5% to 10% cheaper, but I don't buy it. Groceries are definitely more expensive in CO, although gas is about $0.30 cheaper.

I loved the experience of living in Chicago, but overall I think the weather and lifestyle that CO offers is pretty tough to beat. The only thing we can't offer are beaches. Just my 2 cents--hopefully you can glean some useful info out of my rambling post...

He's posted in it. Iirc he gave advice to the kid to follow his pecker...ermm heart and move down there with her.

Yeah that was some of the dumbest **** i've posted on here. And I've posted some really stupid ****.

One of those times when you read something the following day you wrote and ask yourself WTF... did I really write that? So cringe worthy I stopped following the thread. Figures it would turn into an all-time OM meme.

my family was always on the move then i later joined the military, so i been to quite a few cities.

lived in lakewood for 10yrs back in the 80's. loved it when i was young, doubt i would like it as much now. its cold and snows way too much. I came back several times for business trip and visiting family. i wasn't much impressed. if I was single, i would probably like it. If I had a family... i would find a better place. Not sure of the other cities in Colorado, but the education system in Lakewood sucks. Someone mentioned nose bleeds because of dry weather, believe it.

Lived in Chicago (Mt. Prospect), loved it. The education system in Chicago is far superior to that of Lakewood. I went from the top of my class in Lakewood and became a bottom feeder in Chicago. I was a Junior and they had 7th and 8th graders taking higher level classes than me. It is very competitive. Great city as it always seems alive. Other than the cold, I loved it.

Charlotte, lived there for 4yrs or so. Its ok, went to college there. Nothing special. Downtown is dead at night. Can't say much about the public education system. Boring city. Good place to go if you are part of the witness protection program.

Shreveport, LA. Arm pit of America. It sucks. Unless you park your car on a military installation or in your garage, expect it to be broken in sooner than later. Hate it, would never want to live there.

South Korea, can't really say much as i was drunk 70% of the time. Great place to be if you want to drink 18hrs/day.

Fort Walton Beach FL. Wow, loved everything about it. This is the place to be after the kids have left and you're ready for retirement. For me, its all about the fishing. Cost of living is cheap, good food, plenty of entertainment. Besides the holidays when all the northerners descend on Destin, its a great place to live.

Dallas, I like it. Great food, entertainment, city is always alive. Besides the heat and traffic, this is an ideal place to raise a family. Very good education system. Very friendly people. My friend from Jersey didn't know how to respond when she came to Dallas and strangers would say hi.

Here is one thing i notice about Denver, the people are snobbish. I saw some of that here on this thread. My cousins are like that.

Never been to Seattle, but I spent the first 23 years of my life in Colorado (Greeley and Ft. Collins), and the next 14 years in Chicago. Just moved back to Colorado and settled in Greenwood Village, b/c it's very close to work and I didn't want to deal with commuting while I was getting reestablished here...

Chicago is an amazing city...in the summertime. The spring and fall are hit or miss, and the winters can be absolutely brutal. Even a "mild" winter sucks, b/c you won't see the sun for weeks on-end. Just really depressing. As mentioned by several others in this thread, the weather in CO is awesome. It's generally pretty mild/sunny, and you get a great variety. For example, just last Friday I was playing golf in shorts and a light jacket, and today it's snowing and freezing cold. Within a week, it will probably be in the 50's and people will be out and about riding bikes, etc. Chicagoans are basically stuck indoors bowling, playing cards, and watching tv for the next 3 months until things thaw out.

In terms of "feel", the two cities are night and day. There are definitely some urban/walkable areas in Denver, but nothing like Chicago. Not even close. Denver is basically a huge suburb with a few city-like nooks. Chicago is NYC-lite. The restaurants and nightlife in Chicago are amazing--you could literally go to a new place every time you went out for the rest of your life and never run out of good options. Not that Denver doesn't have good food and bars, just nothing like Chicago. Both places are relatively laid back, with friendly people. Generally speaking, Coloradoans are way more active and healthy.

As much as people complain about traffic in Denver, it's really not that bad. There are a few hours in the morning and afternoon that are rough, but it lightens up at other times and on the weekends. The traffic in and around Chicago, on the other hand, just never lets up. That area is just so much more densely populated than Denver. You are probably used to that on the East Coast, though.

In terms of real estate the Chicago market is still very depressed, and Denver is thriving. Overall cost of living seems about the same so far. Denver is supposedly about 5% to 10% cheaper, but I don't buy it. Groceries are definitely more expensive in CO, although gas is about $0.30 cheaper.

I loved the experience of living in Chicago, but overall I think the weather and lifestyle that CO offers is pretty tough to beat. The only thing we can't offer are beaches. Just my 2 cents--hopefully you can glean some useful info out of my rambling post...

Solid summary of Chicago. This might be the winter that finally pushes me outódamp, windy cold and endless grey weeks that last into late March. Yesterday was foggy and grey, but it was 50 degrees, so I loved it (strongly considering moving to the Pac NW myself). But Chicago is back to freezing today, of course.

Beautiful city, lots of great and distinct neighborhoods, cultural attractions, etc. I may have a hard time moving away from the "real city" urban density after getting used to it. If you're a city person you just grow attached to that and everything that goes with it. I fall in love with the city all over again every summer. But I also share the OPs desire for a more outdoorsy culture like Denver or Seattle, where there isn't a five month period of hibernation where all you do socially is drink (not that that isn't fun some of the time.)

The education system in Chicago is far superior to that of Lakewood. I went from the top of my class in Lakewood and became a bottom feeder in Chicago. I was a Junior and they had 7th and 8th graders taking higher level classes than me. It is very competitive.

I'm sorry, but isn't Chicago known as one of the worst school systems in the country with the highest amount of student violence and shootings? Chicago has like 3 or 4 great prep schools, but I'm fairly certain a majority of their high schools are below average.

You can pick and chose, but to take a whole city as massive as Chicago and compare your experience at one school to a small suburb of the Denver Metroplex seems strange.